Capsuling bottle and apparatus therefor



Feb. 12, 1935. A g ENOCK CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1933 Fig. 16.

iiL?! ck h lA/VENTUR I ATTORNEY Feb. 12, 1935. A. G. ENOCK 1,990,536

CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed May 10, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 F ig. 3.

Arrow/5y Feb, 12, 1935.

A. s. ENocK 1,990,536

CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed May 10, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 WI/E/VTOR 61% gum/v Feb. 12, 1935. ENQCK 1,990,536

CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed May 10, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 12, 1935. A. a. ENOCK CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed May 10, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 WVENTOR a r 5 WV.

ATTORVE) Feb. 12, 1935. A. e. ENOCK A CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 10, 1935 ATTORNEY Feb. 12, 1935. A. e. ENOCK CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed May 10, 1923 s Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 6L Maw.

Feb. 12, 1935. A. G. ENOCK CAPSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 10, 1933 mu nn INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1935 rice CAFSULING BOTTLE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Arthur Guy Enock, Wembley Park, England Application May 10, 1933, Serial No. 670,325

In Great Britain May 25, 1932 C 11 Claims.

the mouth, in which the cap piece to form the cap or capsule cut in sheet or disc form is fed into position over the bottle mouth, is partly formed thereon and finally shaped to in situ and secured around the bead of the bottle mouth.

Machines for capsuling or capping bottles with metal or metallic caps are well known in which the metal cap pieces are fed from a plain strip drawn from a reel of aluminium which is fed, punched, embossed and the caps drawn or pressed to shape by dies, deposited on the bottle mouths and crimped or clamped thereto. Considerable dlfliculties are experienced in the use of such machines in a dairy atmosphere due to the deterioration of the extremely sharp and delicately set dies and punches which are necessary to deal with aluminium foil and the risk of poor action of the feed rolls or breakage of the strip which cause delay in the bottling of milk when any trouble is experienced in these ways. It is found in practice with machines referred to above that in order to maintain the work of the feed rolls and dies at a supportably high state of efficiency it is necessary to use foil of .100 m/m in thickness or thereabouts to reduce the risk of stoppage. Such stoppage is most detrimental to the progress of work in bottling dairies where there is a continual stream of prepared milk passing through the dairy machinery which must be dealt with without interruption. A further difliculty in employing foils lighter than .100 m/m is that after drawing the cap to shape and then crimping or clamping it to the bottle it is liable to split where the metal is thinned and hardened by drawing by the dies in the region of the bottle lip and a leaky cap results. It would not be practicable to use .025 m/m foil in such a way but in my process this thickness or less may be used as the cap is moulded in situ over the bottle mouth without thinning the metal and a perfect though light cap results.

My object is to obviate these difliculties by excluding from the dairy the feed rolls and cutting dies and by using much cheaper foil of .05 m/m or less in thickness, in ready cut, em bossed or partly formed cap-pieces or blanks, and to provide appliances to handle extremely light cap-pieces of foil and means for forming these pieces into caps over the bottle mouth itself and securing them thereto. I that bottles may be securely capped in this way and that a filled bottle capped with extremely thin foil may be reversed and held upside down without leakage and with ample security for one delivery. My caps it is found are more easily removed from the bottles by the fingers without risk and parts of the cap are not left adhering to the bottle neck, causing labour in cleaning bottles as is the case with heavier caps.

According to the invention the apparatus comprises a tubular holder or magazine to contain a supply of cap pieces (in the form of discs or partly formed caps) a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw a cap piece from the magazine and transfer it to a position above the bottle mouth, a holder to receive the cap piece, a capping head fitted with movable ram or plunger against which the cap piece and the bottle mouth are pressed, 2. pleating or forming ring within the capping head, and means to support and raise the bottles (singly or in rows) into contact with the cap-piece and the ram or plunger in the capping head.

The invention may also comprise means for actuating or constructing a pleating or forming ring or die which folds down tabs on the cap pieces against the bottle neck, also means to apply an adhesive or moisture thereto.

The cap pieces or sheets of capsuling material may be of metal foil, plain or waxed paper, cellophane, celluloid or other suitable material flat or embossed and of any desired shape such as round, square or oval and with or without tabs.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings: v r

Fig. 1 is an elevation of capping head with magazine attached thereto as applied to a rotary machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 showing operating cams and ramps.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of stationary capping heads with magazines attached thereto as applied to a. machine for capping bottles in single rows in crates upon a table or conveyor.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4-4 Fig. 3.

Fig. 4a. is a plan of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of capping heads as in Fig. 3 arranged for capping two rows of bottles at a time.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of rotating capping head showing method of feeding from a fixed stationary magazine.

Fig. 7 is a plan of Fig. 6. Y

Fig. 8 is an elevation 01' rotating capping head showing method of feeding from independently rotating or reciprocating magazines.

Fig. 9 is a plan of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of modified head showing another method of fixing cap to bottle.

Fig. llisaplanofFig. 10.

Fig. 11a is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the mechanism for giving a reciprocating motion to the bar I).

Fig. 12 is a modification of Figs. 10 and-11.

Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation of head for another method of pressingcap to bottle.

Fig. 14 is a plan of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a plan of support plate for caps or blanks.

Fig. 16 is a section on line 16 of Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a sectional elevation of vacuum control cylinder, valve and trip motion with spring controlled return of valve as applicable" to all types of machines.

Fig. 18 is a side elevation of Fig. 17.

Fig. 18a is a plan of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is'a sectional elevation of modification of form shown in Fig. 17 with positive movement of valve.

'Fig. 19a is a side elevation of Fig. 19.

Fig. 20 is a sectional elevation of suction nozzle t.

Fig. 21 is a plan of suction nozzle t.

Fig. 22 is a plan of moistening or gumming appliance applicable to rotary machines.

Fig. 23 is an elevation of same.

Fig. 24 is a section elevation alternative method oi. gumming or moistening sideways applicable to all types of machines.

Fig. 25 is a modification of Fig. 24 for gumming etc. from above.

Fig. 26 is a'plan of two forms of cap pieces.

Fig. 27 is a side elevation of bottle with cap in position.

In the drawings the same reference letters are used to denote similar parts in all the figures.

The invention may be applied to machines for capping single bottles, to rotary machines for capping bottles successively or two or more bottles simultaneously or to machines in which a row of bottles in a crate may be capped at one operation. p

In carrying out the invention a magazine b is provided for containing a supply of blanks, cappieces, or partly formed caps from which cap pieces may be withdrawn one at a time at either top or bottom end without disturbing the next blank. The blanks are withdrawn from the magazine by a pneumatic sgtion nozzle t of a form adapted to handle the cap-piece without distortion, but with sufiicient deflection to bring it away from the next without disturbance. The suction nozzle t transfers the blank cap-piece from the -magazine b to a position above the mouth of the bottle A and deposits it in a holder it below a capping head a or transfers it to another suction nozzle it within the capping head a. The raising of the bottle A presses the cap-piece against a spring controlled movable ram or plunger s and through a pleating or forming ring or die go which 'folds down the edges of the cappiece against the bottle neck. The cap-piece is thus pressed to shape over the bottle mouth and is then moulded into the bead and round the bottle neck by thezring q or wire by, without thinning the metal.

The capping head a is fitted internally with a sliding sleeve p beneath which is a rubber ring q, and' inside the sleeve 1: against a spring 1' is a sliding plunger s carrying a vacuum suction nozzle t. A guide u for the bottle mouth is fitted under the lower end of the capping head forming a recess between itself and thehead wherein through which they can be readily withdrawn singly by a suction nobble 29. The magazine b may be open at the bottom and the cap-pieces B descend therein by gravity or it may be open at the top the cap pieces B being raised against the plate as by a spring bb (Figs. 6 and 8) the suction nozzle 29 lifting them singly from the top. The magazine 12 may be built up of a number of vertical strips b (see Fig. 3).

The suction nozzle t is connected by tube tp with a vacuum chamber and is carried on an arm ag and operated by crank or other mechanism to be alternately moved or traversed from the holder or magazine through the slot in the slotted plate or guide it to deliver the cap piece below'the capping head a.

The suction tubing is fitted with swivelling joints and control valves to open and shutofi thevacuum.

A vertically reciprocating support or table for a bottle or bottles A of known form (not shown) is disposed below the capping head or heads a and is raised by a cam or eccentric to bring the mouth of the bottle A into contact with the cappiece against the capping head (1..

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which the invention is applied to a rotary capping machine, the capping head a with magazines b attached are mounted on a rotary central bracket c which is adjustably mounted on the rotary central spindle d with provision for vertical and turning movement thereon. The magazines I: may be-in the form of a tube or built up from separate pieces b as shown in Fig. 3. Cap blanks B in the magazine rest upon a support plate az shown in detail, in Figs. 15 and 16. The lower end of the spindle d is fitted to the rotary table or portion (not shown) of a known type of filling and discing or capping machine while its upper end is carried in a bearing e in the fixed casing f. In one form of structure the casing f is attached to a shroud g which in turn is fixed to a stationary vertical column h. Stationary ramps ad and as are mounted within the shroud g and between the central bracket c and the sliding yoke 7', toggle levers k and l are pivoted, the lever l carrying a roller m which contacts during a portion of the revolution of the bracket c with the stationary ramp 1!. on the vertical column h. v

A rod 21 free to reciprocate and rotate, is carried in lugs 11: of the central bracket 0, which also carries a bell crank 11 mounted in lugs z. The bell crank 11 contacts with collar aa mounted on the rod 0 which is held against it by the action of a spring ab against a collar ac. The rod 12 also carries a lever af and a feeding arm ag on which is mounted the suction nozzle t A return spring an is attached to the end of the lever of which also carries adjusting screw a7. Vacuum controls are mounted on the bracket c and will be described later with reference to Figs. 17 and 18. I

In the form shown in Figs. 3 to 5 in which the invention is applied to a machine by which a row of bottles in a crate may be simultaneously capped; the capping heads a are fitted in a main stationary frame ak to which are pivoted upper members 7c of toggle levers k and l by brackets a Rotatably mounted in frame ak is a shaft am carrying arms an and pegs ap (Fig. 19). Similarly mounted on shaft am are two grooved cams aq which actuate lever ar. and link as from one face and from the other face bell crank at spindle an and feeder guide av. Two spindles aw and as: with rollers ay are supported in guides av, the spindle aw being attached to links as. Supported by these spindles are feeder arms as carrying suction nozzles t Mounted on the frame ak are vacuum controls which will be described later with reference to Fig. 19.

In a modification shown in Figs. 6 and '7 the capping head a is mounted in the adjustable rotating bracket c as in Figs. 1-2 but the magazine b is carried in a separate fixed bracket ha. The blanks are held against the support plate are by the spring bb. A feed arm ag carrying the suction nozzle t is mounted in the bracket ba. by means of the reciprocally moving suction tube bd.

In further modification in Figs. 8 and 9 the capping head a is mounted as before described with a reciprocating feeder arm up and suction nozzle t mounted on a rod 1) in lugs a: of a central bracket 0. A spindle be synchronously moving with the bracket 0 carries one or more magazines b which may be positioned to feed upward or downward.

Figs. 10, 11 and 11a show a modified form for fixing caps to the bottles by a flexible crimping tube, wire or band by contained in a groove in the head a attached at one end to a reciprocating bar bh and at the other end through springs bi to fixed points bk. The bar bh is reciprocated by a cam bm mounted on the shaft am through a lever bn, pivoted at bp, and a link bo. For certain classes of caps the tube wire or band may be heated by steam, electric current or other means.

The crimping wire bg may be placed behind a flexible or compressible crimping ring q as shown in Fig. 12.

Figs. l3 and 14 show another method of pressing the cap to the bottle neck by means of segmental members ca suspended by pins ab and held apart for the entry of the bottle by flat or coil springs cc. 'The members ca are pressed inward round the bottle by the wedge like action of the tapered ring or collar cd. i

The members ca may be heated for certain classes of caps by an internal heating element or an external heating element cf.

Figs. 15' and 16 show plan of magazine b and support plates az for the cap-pieces B, (Fig. 26)

the plate being formed with chamfered or rounded edges ch and aperture ck through which the cap-pieces B are drawn. by the suction nozzle t Figs. 17 and 18, 18a show details of vacuum control for the suction nozzle 1: in the capping head plunger s. A cylinder body da containing a piston valve db with spring return dc is connected at dd to a vacuum line. The cylinder body is formed with branches de and df connected by flexible tubing to the connection dg (one being shown) to the suction nozzles t and t The links db and (17' are pivotally mounted so as to transform the vertical movement of the plunger s and its vacuum connection dginto a horizontal movement of the valve db. A lever die is mounted over the cylinder and drawn downward by the tension spring d and enters through the cylinder wall into a slot in the valve db. The rod 0 has a pin dm which contacts with and raises the lever die during a portion of the movement of the rod 0. A

Figs. 19 and 19a show another construction of vacuum control valves. A positively moved valve 612 is actuated in one direction by the plunger s and its connection dg and in the other direction by the peg ap of the cam shaft" am coming into contact with the peg dp fixed in the valve dn. The two levers db. and d9 are held together'by the spring dq so that if a bottle should jam in the capping head a and thus keep the vacuum connection dg in its raised position while the valve dn is being returned by the peg up, the levers d1 the vacuum is sealed by an inclined flexible lip dr and when the blank is held in position by the suction it is drawn downward until it is approxi-- mately level with the projecting ribs ds which prevent buckling, of the blank and hold it flat.

Figs. 22 and 23 show an appliance to be ap plied to a rotary machine for gumming or damping the bottle while it is moving forward. The bottle A is traversed with the neck against a guide fa which is flexibly mounted on the frame work fb of the machine, it is kept in contact with the guide fb by a gumming or damping band jc which revolves round the driven rollers Id and fee. The band {0 is kept taut against the bottle A and maintains its curved form by passing over the curved surface of a guide I! which is flexibly mounted to accommodate bottles of varying sizes. Gum or moisture is provided from a trough jg into which dips a reciprocating and revolving roller fh which transmits gum to the roller ,fa' which in turn transmits it to the band fc. The figures show the bottle traversing a curved path by the star wheel C but this may be straight when required by the construction of the capping machine.

Fig. 24 shows a gumming or damping appliance for gumming the bottle from above consisting of a reservoir flc with its bottom sealed by an absorbent pad fl kept in place by rings fm and In. The gum may be applied to the bottle A by raising and lowering either the reservoir or the bottle.

Fig. 25 shows an apparatus for gumming stationary bottles and consists of an annular reservoir ,fo in which revolve wheels ,fq which pick up gum and transfer it to revolving wheels fr which in turn contact with and revolve the bottle spreading the gum around it. In operation a cap-piece B is drawn from the magazine b by the suction nozzle t on the arm ag. The arm is depressed by the ram ad and bell crank lever y (Fig. l) or by the cam aq and bell crank lever at (Figs. 1 to 3). The arm ag and nozzle t are then moved horizontally and transfer the cap piece B through a gap or slot in the bottle guide u under the plunger s of the capping head a. The transfer motion to and fro of the suction nozzle t is effected by the ramp ae, lever a,f and spring ah (Figs. 1 and 2) or by the profile cam aq and levers ar andv as (Figs. 3 to 5). The suction nozzle t is raised by similar mechanism to place the cap-piece upon the suction nozzle t and the vacuum cut off from the nozzle t and opened to the nozzle t which retains the cap-piece down the yoke 11' and sleeve p. After the pressure on the rubber ring is released the bottle descends and a fresh cap-piece is fed in a similar manner.

On the compression of the rubber ring q by the sleeve p the rubber is forced into the recess below the bottle lip carrying with it the edges of the cap blank which are thereby pleated therein. Or the edges of the cap blank are pressed into the recess below the bottle lip by the tightening of the wire bg whereby crimps are formed therein.

As the bottle A rises it raises the plunger s and the suction-connection dg which moves the valve db through levers dh and (19' until the lever dk falls into a slot in the suction valve and prevents its return when the bottle descends. While the valve is in this position the connection d) which is connected to the weeder arm ag is in communication with the suction line through the connection dd and the feeder arm removes a blank from the magazine and transfers it to the capping position. As the feeder arm ag which is attached to the rod 2; rises -to place the cap blank on the sucker t in the plunger the peg dm on the rod raises the lever die and the valve is returned by the spring dc to its outermost position-when the suction line through do: is connected by means of do and rig to the suction nozzle t. Thus the suction required to feed a fresh cap only comes into operation when the plunger s is raised by the bottle and a cap piece is not fed when a bottle A is absent.

In Fig. 19 the suction valve is returned by the peg upon the cam shaft instead of by a. spring.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the feeder arm ag and'suction nozzle t place the blank in the intermediate blank holder be which partially rotates and holds the cap-piece B in capping position and the further operations are as previously described.

In Figs. 10 and 11. when the cap piece B is folded over the top of the bottle the wire by is drawn by therod bh and crimps the cap into the bead of the bottle mouth.

When using capping material which requires wetting or gumming the bottlerotates along the surfaces shown in Figs. 22 and 23, and then passes to the capping head, while in Fig. 24 the bottle presses against the gurmning pad and in Fig. 25 is rotated by the rollers fr and then passes to the capping head.

What I claim as my invention and-desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. In apparatus for capping bottles with cap pieces of thin material the combination with a tubular magazine for holding the cap pieces, of a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw apiece from the magazine and transfer it to a capping position, a transferring arm to carry the suction nozzle, 9. gapped guide to receive the cap piece, a cappin head fitted with a movable spring controlled plunger against which the cap piece and the bottle mouth are pressed, a crimping and forming ring carried by the capping head to fold the edges of the cap piece and mould them around the bottle neck and means to connect the suction nozzle with a vacuum or suction chamber.

2. In apparatus for capping bottles with cap pieces of thin material the combination with a tubular magazine for holding the cap pieces, of a suction nozzle adapted to withdraw a piece from the magazine and transfer it to a capping position, a transferring arm to carry the suction n zzle, a gapped guide to receive the cap piece, a cap ing head fitted with a movable spring controlled ranr provided with suction passages and a suction nozzle against which the cap piece and the bottle month are pressed, a pleating and forming ring carried by the capping head to fold the edges of the cap piece and mould them around the bottle neck and means to connect said suction nozzles with a vacuum or suction chamber.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a suction nozzle within the spring controlled plunger by which the cap-piece is held in position until engaged by the bottle mouth and compressed and folded round the bottle neck by the upward movement of the bottle.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a sliding sleeve and die working in conjunction with the forming ring within the capping head above a bottle guide to mould or crimp the edges of the cap piece around the bottle neck.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a tight-- ening means by which the edges of the cap piece are crimped or pressed around-and to the shape of the bottle neck.

- 6. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a tightening wire by which the edges of the cap piece are crimped or pressed around and to the shape of the bottle-neck.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a rubber resilient forming ring within the capping head and a tightening wire to compress the forming ring and press the edges round and to the shape of the bottle neck and means to tighten the wire.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 and havinga suction valve by which the suction is automatically cut off and on as the arm and nozzle are moved from one position to another.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a suction nozzle on the capping head and a vacuum valve to control the suction at the nozzle and hold the cap piece above the bottle mouth during the capping operation.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having means for dampening the bottlenecks preparatory to applying the cap pieces thereto.

11. Apparatus as in claim 1 and having a second suction nozzle and a flexible lip and supporting projections thereon for maintaining the cap piece flat.

ARTHUR GUY ENOCK. 

